Surface Autofarm: Invasion + Event Farming (Key Mold and Pirate Map farming too)

DicemanX

Brain of Cthulhu
I present a more in-depth look at the surface autofarm that I featured in my chain-autofarm video. I have changed a couple of things in the surface autofarm to expand the farming possibilities. First, here's a video of the farm in action:



The operation of the farm is simple - the player activates the bird statue which turns on all the 1-second timers, which power the dart traps in the dart trap batteries. The player then hops onto the tracks and moves back and forth automatically, collecting the fallen loot. Since invasions require an NPC nearby, a switch can be used to summon an NPC to the house in the middle of the farm.

One nice feature of this farm is the ability to endlessly farm Pirate Invasions while farming for Pirate Maps. Since this autofarm generates close to 1 spawn per second (60 spawns per minute), and since the pirate maps have a 1% chance to drop, the autofarm can potentially generate 6 maps every 10 minutes.


Surface Autofarm Spawn rates:

The overriding biome in this farm is the jungle biome. The spawn rates and max spawns differ based on whether the farming is done in the day or at night. Both can be modified by a placed Water Candle and a held Water Candle, and further boosted by a Battle Potion. The cap on spawn rate is 60 (the lower the better- 60 means 1/60 chance of a spawn occurring every 1/60th of a second) and the cap on maximum spawns is 15.

Spawn rates + maximum spawns in hardmode at the surface:

Jungle (daytime):
spawn rate = 216 (1/216 chance of a spawn every 1/60th of a second)
maximum spawns = 9

Jungle (night):
spawn rate = 129 (1129 chance of a spawn every 1/60th of a second)
maximum spawns = 11


Bonus multipliers to spawn rate + maximum spawns (all effects stack):

Water Candle (placed or held):
spawn rate bonus multipler = x0.75
maximum spawn bonus multiplier = x1.5

Battle Potion:
spawn rate bonus multipler = x0.50
maximum spawn bonus multiplier = x2

There is also a bonus to spawn rate if there are fewer mobs than the maximum allowed:
fewer than 80% of the maximum number of spawns - the spawn rate bonus multiplier is x0.9
fewer than 60% of the maximum number of spawns - the spawn rate bonus multiplier is x0.8
fewer than 40% of the maximum number of spawns - the spawn rate bonus multiplier is x0.7
fewer than 20% of the maximum number of spawns - the spawn rate bonus multiplier is x0.6

Spawn rates + Bonuses:

Jungle (surface, daytime) = placed Water Candle + held Water Candle + max spawn rate bonus multiplier (x0.6) = spawn rate of 73
Jungle (surface, nighttime) = placed Water Candle + held Water Candle + max spawn rate bonus multiplier (x0.6)= maximum spawn rate of 60

No need to use a Battle Potion if holding a Water Candle then, because you end up at or near the spawn rate cap with just the Candle. The held Water Candle still works even when riding in a cart. Also, the super dart traps kill enemies very quickly, so it's reasonable to assume that the bonus x0.6 multiplier is always in effect when farming.


Farming options:

Always available drops:

Hallowed Key Mold (hallow biome present; 1:2500 chance to drop from any slain enemy)
Jungle Key Mold (jungle biome present; 1:2500 chance to drop from any slain enemy)
Ice Key Mold (snow biome present; 1:2500 chance to drop from any slain enemy)
Pirate Maps (within 380 blocks of the edge of the world; 1:100 chance to drop from any slain enemy)

Invasion Farming:

The surface farm can be used for invasion farming (Goblin Invasion, Pirate Invasion, Frost Legion Invasion). Invasions occur either at the spawn point, or as long as at least 1 NPC is nearby. To farm invasions using this surface autofarm, either an NPC needs to be summoned via the King Statue, or an NPC needs to be assigned to the house below the autofarm. There is a blue switch to the right of the farm that summons an NPC from the statue.

http://terraria.wiki.gg/Pirate_invasion
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Goblin_invasion
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Frost_Legion

Event Farming:

Blood Moon, Solar Eclipse, and Rain/Blizzard all produce unique enemies with unique drops. The surface autofarm has both a hallow and snow biome throughout which allows for the farming of Rainbow Slimes. Here are the enemies and drops that can be farmed:

http://terraria.wiki.gg/Ice_Golem (during rain/blizzard)
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Rainbow_Slime (during rain/blizzard)
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Solar_Eclipse
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Blood_moon

Regular Farming:

There is a surface changer in this farm which switches from snow surface to a mix of desert, crimson desert, and hallowed desert. The former generates surface snow biome enemies:

http://terraria.wiki.gg/Snow_biome

The latter generates crimson surface enemies, hallowed surface enemies, and regular desert enemies:

http://terraria.wiki.gg/The_Hallow
http://terraria.wiki.gg/The_Crimson
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Desert

Special Mobs/Bosses:

On occasion certain special mobs can spawn in this farm, including King Slime and Goblin Scout:

http://terraria.wiki.gg/King_Slime
http://terraria.wiki.gg/Goblin_Scout


Snapshot of autofarm:

kESoCh1.jpg


Wiring:

Q1nEMup.jpg



Map download:

http://www.filedropper.com/dicemanxhmworldv47 (previous version)
http://www.filedropper.com/dicemanxhmworldv51 (new version)
 
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It's fun to chain this autofarm with the other four and just watch the AFK farming - so many different biomes and monsters, and such diverse loot too!
 
This is a very interesting autofarm. How long did it take you to make this?

Hard to say since I've been tinkering with it for a while. However, if I were to reconstruct it now it would probably take around 1hr or so in-game, maybe less, since the bulk of the work is just making sure any underground holes are filled.
 
This is really nice!
I tried it but it does have some flaws, I die a lot (about every 6 minutes). It will go get loot, some mobs will get under the farming path (with the darts) and kill me.
 
This is really nice!
I tried it but it does have some flaws, I die a lot (about every 6 minutes). It will go get loot, some mobs will get under the farming path (with the darts) and kill me.

That shouldn't be happening - in my hours of farming with this farm I didn't die once, and no mob ever got to track level. The track tunnel is completely walled in so no mobs can spawn there and spawns are blocked outside of the arena. Which mobs exactly were you dying to? How were they reaching track level in your farming? Are you running my map or did you build your own version?
 
In your map, I just sit in the cart and suddenly there's 2 dark ghosts under the track killing me
 
In your map, I just sit in the cart and suddenly there's 2 dark ghosts under the track killing me

So the Wraiths are killing you. However the Wraiths are blocked from spawning anywhere except the surface and the dart traps should kill them long before they're able to descend (at least from hours of testing day/night). Not sure why you're getting killed by them - are you moving in the cart or standing still? Are the dart traps on?
 
Just the cart moving back and forth collecting loot

I'll check the map I offered as a download to make sure no background walls are missing - perhaps some were dislodged. If the entire bottom area is walled in then the wraiths can't get to you. The map I'm running right now works fine, and I even let the surface grinder go for an extended period of time in the past few days to get another one of my newly-built farms to spawn a large quantity of crystal shards. I'll look into it!
 
I'm not trying to be that one guy. But I'm just thinking, my be lazy and have the game do it for you, when you can do it yourself, have fun, and put more hours in the game?
 
I'm not trying to be that one guy. But I'm just thinking, my be lazy and have the game do it for you, when you can do it yourself, have fun, and put more hours in the game?
Why buy butter at the supermarket when you can drive for hours to the nearest farm and get the milk and churn it yourself and have fun and put more hours into it?

Why use a new-fangled microwave when you can collect firewood and boil water in a pot yourself and have fun and put more hours into it?

Why use a sewing machine when you can get a needle and thread and stitch it yourself and have fun and put more hours into it?

We call it technological advancement.
 
Why buy butter at the supermarket when you can drive for hours to the nearest farm and get the milk and churn it yourself and have fun and put more hours into it?

Why use a new-fangled microwave when you can collect firewood and boil water in a pot yourself and have fun and put more hours into it?

Why use a sewing machine when you can get a needle and thread and stitch it yourself and have fun and put more hours into it?

We call it technological advancement.

I call it laziness and destroying the fundamentals of the game. Not going to lie this seems cool, fun, and funny. And I respect and give him credit. Its just the world keeps getting lazier and lazier. But I guess that's my opinion and I don't want to step on anyone's toes.
 
I call it laziness and destroying the fundamentals of the game. Not going to lie this seems cool, fun, and funny. And I respect and give him credit. Its just the world keeps getting lazier and lazier. But I guess that's my opinion and I don't want to step on anyone's toes.
What DicemanX and his engineers are doing is exactly the opposite of laziness. You clearly have no appreciation of the laborious research that it takes to create an optimal setup.
 
I call it laziness and destroying the fundamentals of the game. Not going to lie this seems cool, fun, and funny. And I respect and give him credit. Its just the world keeps getting lazier and lazier. But I guess that's my opinion and I don't want to step on anyone's toes.

You're viewing the autofarms I create as a means to an end. However, I build autofarms because I like the building and engineering aspect, not because I need them to farm items. Still, even if I did use them purely for farming, I could easily argue that they eliminate the tedium of grinding so that I can best use my terraria playtime on something much more fun. But to each his own, since some might actually enjoy the grinding.

Your comment about autofarming "destroying the fundamentals of the game" is also a bit off, since this is a game that encourages building and engineering, and encourages alternate ways of achieving your goals. Automation is the logical outcome when given the tools in a building game that enables that automation. Plus, as Baconfry indicated, inventions to make our lives easier are not borne out of laziness, they stem more from our desire to make better use of our valuable time than to waste it on menial tasks.
 
Hey everyone,

I really love this whole concept! Congratulations and nice work DicemanX! Teach me your ways! Hahaha

Have a good Christmas,

- SotallyTober
 
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